Was this the best Schmoedown Spectacular ever? Justin Hamilton believes it is, and I would agree. The eight and a half hour epic broadcast was longer than I had anticipated, but the time was filled with incredible matches and the return of storylines. In a year where everything was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, they did an amazing job putting together a show that was able to cap off the year in a way that seemed satisfying.
The length of eight and a half hours was surprising, and the fact that the length was revealed only the day before was a bit of an issue for me. If the length had been revealed on Monday, for example, instead of Friday, then I would have been able to plan my day better. Overall, however, I felt that the length of the show worked for what it was the Schmoedown was trying to accomplish.
The return of cut scenes was nice, and I felt that they did the best that they could with the technology available to them. The Andrew Ghai search for the Schmoeminati was somewhat interesting even though I’m not entirely certain that I care for this particular storyline. The breakup of Who’s The Boss was not unexpected but the scene was done well. I would have preferred scenes previewing the Innergeekdom and Singles matches that weren’t one competitor interrupts the other, but I don’t know what else you could have done given the limitations that currently exist. The cut scenes worked well, for the most part, and the ending scene of the man in the mask has me intrigued for next season.
The matches were all competitive, except for the Kevin Smith vs Brett Sheridan match. Excuse me, the Kevin Smith vs ZaFlertinFlouse match. I will be honest: I do not like the ZaFlertinFlouse character, but my problem with this match goes beyond the character. The match against Smith was for faction points. In my opinion, that means it was something to be taken seriously. If you want to do a joke match because the opponent is a celebrity, then go for it, but don’t have it count as an official league match. However, it was nice to see Smith roll with the ZaFlertinFlouse character and get into the spirit of the joke. I do wonder how it was Sheridan hid the fact that he had shaved his hair into that hairstyle again though.
We saw the reign of the most dominant champion in Schmoedown history continue and we saw the crowning of a brand new champion, an impressive rookie who went an incredible 7-0 to start his Schmoedown career. An odd couple became champions again when going into the final round they were six points behind and a man that many hate was the first to defend his division’s belt since 2018. We had celebrities compete in official league matches and the return of storylines that leave us intrigued. It was a nice end to a season that at times seemed incredibly long and that was derailed by a pandemic.
Schmoedown Spectacular V was just that. Spectacular. And I am looking forward to seeing what happens next year at Schmoedown Spectacular VI.
